marty atencio case | mcso motion to dismiss

7/31/2019 Marty Atencio case | MCSO Motion to Dismiss

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2865269.1

William R. Jones, Jr., Bar #001481John T. Masterson, Bar #007447Joseph J. Popolizio, Bar #017434Lori L. Voepel, Bar #015342JONES, SKELTON & HOCHULI, P.L.C.2901 North Central Avenue, Suite 800Phoenix, Arizona 85012Telephone: (602) 263-1700Fax: (602) [email protected]

[email protected]@[email protected]

Attorneys for Defendants Maricopa CountySheriffs Office and Joseph M. Arpaio

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

United States of America,

Plaintiff,

v.

Maricopa County, Arizona; Maricopa CountySheriffs Office; and Joseph M. Arpaio, in hisofficial capacity as Sheriff of MaricopaCounty, Arizona,

Defendants.

NO. CV12-00981-PHX-ROS

DEFENDANTS RULE 12(b)(6)MOTION TO DISMISS

Defendants Maricopa County Sheriffs Office and Joseph Arpaio

(Defendants), through undersigned counsel, respectfully request the Court to dismiss

Maricopa County Sheriffs Office (MCSO) as a Defendant because it is a nonjural entity

incapable of suing or being sued. Defendants also request dismissal of Plaintiffs

disparate impact claims in Counts III, IV and V because the Complaint fails to set forth a

sufficient statistical basis for those claims. Dismissal of the Title VI claims in Counts IV

and V is also required to the extent they allege discrimination based upon language, which

is not a proxy for national origin. Count VI (alleged retaliation against critics) should

also be dismissed, as it fails to state a claim under 42 U.S.C. 14141 and the First


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2865269.1 2

Amendment. Lastly, the request for injunctive relief relating to jail operations, posse

operations, supervision, oversight and MCSOs response to crimes of sexual violence

must be dismissed because such remedies are unavailable as a matter of law. This Motion

is supported by the attached Memorandum of Points and Authorities and the Complaint.

MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND AUTHORITIES

I. PLAINTIFFS ALLEGATIONS.The Complaint alleges that Defendants have engaged in three categories of

unlawful conduct: (1) a pattern or practice of discriminatory and otherwise

unconstitutional law enforcement actions against Latinos in Maricopa County; (2)

discriminatory jail practices against Latino prisoners with limited English language skills

and (3) a pattern or practice of retaliatory actions against perceived critics of MCSO

activities. (Complaint 6). Plaintiff alleges that this conduct violates the First

Amendment, Fourth Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment to the United States

Constitution; the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, 42 U.S.C.

14141 ( 14141); Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-7

(Title VI); the Title VI implementing regulations issued by the United States Department

of Justice, 28 C.F.R. 42.101 to 42.112 (Title VI Regulations); and Title VI contractual

assurances. (Complaint 7). Plaintiff seeks declaratory and injunctive relief to remedy

Defendants violations of the law and to ensure that MCSO implements sustainable

reforms establishing police and jail practices that are constitutional. (Id. 8).

II. THE MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE MUST BE DISMISSEDBECAUSE IT IS A NONJURAL ENTITY WITHOUT THE CAPACITY TOSUE OR BE SUED.

A. Controlling Federal and State Authority Establishes That MCSO LacksCapacity to Sue or Be Sued.

The capacity of a municipal entity such as the MCSO to sue or be sued is

determined by the law of the state where the court is located . Fed. R. Civ. P

17(b)(3). Governmental entities such as MCSO have no inherent power and possess only

those powers and duties delegated to them by their enabling statutes. See Schwartz v


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2865269.1 4

if it lacks capacity to be sued under state law. Capacity measures the ability of a party to

participate in a lawsuit.

Nothing in Title VI or any other applicable federal law creates capacity to be

sued simply because an entity receives federal financial assistance. Recipients of federa

financial assistance explicitly waive any claim to Eleventh Amendment immunity. See 42

U.S.C. 2000d-7(a)(1). But there is no applicable federal law creating a capacity to sue

or be sued when such capacity does not otherwise exist. Even the Federal Rules of Civil

Procedure make clear that the capacity to sue or be sued is determined solely by state law

Fed. R. Civ. P. 17(b)(3). Both state and federal courts routinely dismiss charges agains

nonjural entities without any reference to an exception for those that receive federal

financial assistance, and Defendants have found no case identifying such an exception.

III. THE DISPARATE IMPACT CLAIMS CONTAINED IN COUNTS III, IVAND V MUST BE DISMISSED FOR FAILURE TO ALLEGE SUFFICIENTSTATISTICAL EVIDENCE OF DISCRIMINATORY EFFECT.

The Complaints Third, Fourth and Fifth Claims for Relief (Counts III, IV,

V), allege that Defendants law enforcement practices, treatment of limited English

proficiency prisoners, and policing and jail practices have an adverse disparate impact

on Latinos. (Complaint 173, 179, 184). The Complaint fails, however, to allege

sufficiently specific statistical data to state any claim based upon a disparate impact

theory. These theories of liability must therefore be dismissed.1

A. Specific Statistics Are Required To Support a Disparate Impact Claim.A prima facie case of disparate impact requires the plaintiff to: (1) identify

the specific practices or policies being challenged; (2) show disparate impact; and (3)

1Moreover, a showing of disparate impact is insufficient to state a Title VI claim

under Section 601; intentional discrimination is required. Alexander v. Sandoval, 532U.S. 275, 280-81 (2001). Section 601 of Title VI provides that no person shall, on theground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied thebenefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity covered byTitle VI. 42 U.S.C. 2000d. Plaintiff has alleged intentional discrimination under TitleVI in Counts III, IV and V in addition to alleging disparate impact, so to the extent thoseclaims are based on Section 601 of Title VI, dismissal of the disparate impact portions ofthose claims would not fully dispose of those counts.


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2865269.1 5

prove causation. Rose v. Wells Fargo & Co., 902 F.2d 1417, 1424 (9th Cir. 1990). The

second two factors are generally shown with statistics. Rose, 902 F.2d at 1424. The

prima facie elements for a disparate impact theory were first set forth for Title VII claims

under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. See Griggs v. Duke Power Co., 401 U.S. 424 (1971)

To sufficiently set forth the element of causation, a plaintiff must offer statistical

evidence of a kind and degree sufficient to show that the practice in question has caused

the exclusion of [a particular group] because of their membership in a protected group.

Rose, 902 F.2d at 1424 (citing Watson v. Fort Worth Bank & Trust, 487 U.S. 977, 108

S.Ct. 2777, 2788-89 (1988)). The statistical disparities must be sufficiently substantial

that they raise such an inference of causation. Id. (quoting Watson, 108 S.Ct. at 2798)

Absent sufficient statistics, factual allegations are not enough to raise a right of relief

above the speculative level.Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 1965 (2007).

In Rose, an employment case involving the dismissal of certain managers

during the reorganization/consolidation of a newly acquired bank, the Ninth Circuit

upheld dismissal of the plaintiffs claim because his statistics showed only that persons

over 50 were terminated at a higher rate than younger employees. Rose, 902 F.2d at

1425. Because these statistical disparities could be explained by non-discriminatory

factors (ie: older persons tended to hold the duplicative managerial positions eliminated

during the reorganization), the court found the statistics were not sufficient to sustain

plaintiffs disparate impact claim. Id.

B. Disparate Impact Claims Under Title VI Are Subject to the SameCriteria as Employment Discrimination Claims Under Title VII.

Disparate impact claims under the ADEA are analyzed the same way as

employment discrimination claims are evaluated under Title VII. Rose, 902 F.2d at 1420

Palmer v. United States, 794 F.2d 534, 537 (9th

Cir. 1986). Likewise, disparate impact

claims under Title VI, 42 U.S.C. 2000d, are analyzed using the same criteria as that used

for Title VII employment discrimination claims. Darensburg v. Metropolitan Transp

Comn, 636 F.3d 511, 519 (9th Cir. 2011) (We look to Title VII disparate impact


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2865269.1 6

analysis in analyzing Title VI claims.);Rashdan v. Geissberger, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS

75802 (N.D. Cal. 2012) (Title VI claims are analyzed under the same test as Title VII

employment discrimination claims.); see also Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action

Center v. U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Dev., 639 F.3d 1078 (D.C. Cir. 2011) (When

presenting a disparate impact claim, a plaintiff must generally demonstrate with statistical

evidence that the practice or policy has an adverse effect on the protected group.).

C. These Requirements Apply at the Pleading Stage.Although Rose reviewed a grant of summary judgment, a plaintiff cannot

wait until after discovery to allege facts sufficient to raise a disparate impact claim above

the speculative level. Numerous courts have dismissed disparate impact claims pursuan

to Rule 12(b)(6) for failure to provide specific statistics in the Complaint itself. In Fanaka

v. Warner Bros., 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19078 (C.D. Cal. 2000), the plaintiff claimed that

movie studios used a subjective hiring system that disparately impacts African American

directors. The district court dismissed the claim under Rule 12(b)(6) for failure to provide

specific statistics showing the approximate number of qualified African American

directors and the approximate number of directors actually employed from different racial

groups in the movie industry, which the Ninth Circuit had required plaintiff to provide on

remand. Id. On remand, the statistics plaintiff provided were found to be insufficient to

state a claim. The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district courts dismissal of the disparate

impact claim. Fanaka v. Warner Bros, 22 Fed.Appx. 915 (9th

Cir. 2001).

In Brown v. Coach Stores, Inc., 30 F.Supp.2d 611 (S.D.N.Y. 1997), a

receptionist filed suit against Coach for repeatedly passing her over for promotion,

arguing that the system Coach uses for promoting and hiring disparately impacts

minorities. Dismissing both her disparate treatment and disparate impact claims under

Rule 12(b)(6), the district court first noted that the statistics she provided from the EEOC

regarding minority compensation of the overall Coach workforce were not sufficiently

specific to support a disparate impact claim. Similarly, in United States v. Nara Bank

2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 78918 (C.D. Cal. 2010), the United States filed a disparate impact


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2865269.1 7

claim alleging that the Bank discriminated against non-Asians by giving better loan

rates to Asians. The district court held that the amended complaint did not contain

sufficient facts to make a disparate impact claim plausible within the meaning of

Twombly even though the Bank supported its factual allegations with statistics showing

that half of the studied non-Asian applicants got higher loan rates than the Asians.

In Bennett v. Schmidt, 1997 U.S. Dis. LEXIS 19034 (N.D. Ill. 1997), an

African American plaintiff alleged that a school district screening committee interviewed

only white applicants when she applied for a teaching position. The district court

dismissed the plaintiffs disparate impact claim because statistical evidence showing the

number of African American teachers out of a total staff of full time teachers showed only

an imbalance in the work force and did not substantiate an inference of causation

because it showed no comparison between African Americans who were qualified and

interviewed, and whose who were actually hired.

In contrast, the cases denying Rule 12(b)(6) motions to dismiss did so

because sufficient statistics were included with the plaintiffs factual allegations, which

adequately stated plausible disparate impact claims under Twombly. See, e.g., Hogan &

Rosen, 167 F.Supp.2d 593 (S.D.N.Y. 2001) (statistics adequately suggested that a

disproportionate number of employees within a protected age group were affected by the

challenged employment practice); Albright v. City of New Orleans, 1997 U.S. Dist

LEXIS 7385 (E.D. La. 1997) (statistics revealing the domicile requirements racially

disparate impact were sufficient evidence of causation to withstand 12(b)(6) dismissal)

Garcia v. Country Wide Fin. Corp., 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 106675 (C.D. Cal. 2008)

(statistical evidence sufficiently raised above the speculative level allegation that

defendants minority buyers pay disproportionately high fees).

D. The Complaint Fails To Allege Specific Statistics in Support of theDisparate Impact Claims.

The Complaint fails to state claims for disparate impact. First, it relies in

significant part on anecdotal allegations rather than specific statistics. For example, in its


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2865269.1 8

allegations pertaining to stops conducted by the Human Smuggling Unit (HSU), the

Complaint states that in one instance, HSU officers stopped and detained a Latino driver

and Latino passengers for a human smuggling investigation based on their appearance as

disheveled and dirty. (Complaint 45). It alleges that in another instance, MCSO

officers stopped a car carrying four Latino men, although the car was not violating any

traffic laws. (Id. 46). And it claims that reports by MCSO officers reveal the routine

absence of probable cause to arrest passengers. (Id. 49). In the section of allegations

dealing with the treatment of Latinos in the course of traffic enforcement, it cites an

example in which a pregnant Latina woman was allegedly stopped and mistreated after

refusing to sit on the hood of her car. (Id. 62). And, it cites another instance in which

a Latina woman was followed and subsequently arrested by officers for disorderly

conduct, which was ultimately dismissed. (Id. 63). In the section of the Complain

alleging targeting of Latinos for immigration enforcement, it cites an example

involving the officers supposed search of an adjacent house during their raid of a house

suspected of containing human smugglers and their victims. (Id. 67). And, it cites

another example where a Latina was allegedly taken into custody for four hours to

determine whether she was lawfully in the United States. (Id. 73). It also gives an

example of an alleged worksite raid in which officers demanded to see the

identification of a Latino man who was parked in an adjacent lot. (Id. 75). In the section

addressing alleged public statements and endorsement of anti-Latino statements, the

Complaint includes anecdotes of public statements allegedly made by Sheriff Arpaio in

various contexts, and in response to letters he received from citizens, as well as alleged e-

mails by MCSO staff about Latinos. (Id. 102-104, 107-108, 113-114). Finally, in the

section addressing alleged constitutional violations by MCSO of Spanish speaking

prisoners, the Complaint includes various examples of mistreatment of Latino prisoners

resulting from their purported inability to communicate in English. (Id. 124-134).

Moreover, where purported studies and statistics are referenced, they are

insufficiently identified and/or are not statistical evidence of a kind and degree sufficient


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2865269.1 9

to show that the practice in question has caused the disparate impact. Rose, 902 F.2d at

1424. In discussing the alleged targeting of Latinos on the roadway, the Complaint

references an unidentified 2011 study that assessed the incidence of traffic violations by

non-Latino and Latino drivers compared with the rates at which MCSO officers stopped

non-Latino and Latino traffic violators. (Complaint 27-30). The Complaint also

alleges, without citing any particular source, that a high percentage of people who are

stopped [during suppression sweeps] have committed no criminal offense. (Id. 59)

And, in discussing the alleged targeting of Latinos for immigration enforcement, the

Complaint claims that according to MCSO, CES has conducted 60 raids resulting in 627

arrests since 2006, with the most recent in May 2012. (Id. 69). It does not reference the

specific statistics and/or any statistical basis for its subsequent claim that During raids

CES typically seizes all Latinos present, whether they are listed on the warrant or not.

(Id. 72). Rather, it gives another example to one raid in which 109 people were

allegedly detained. (Id.). Finally, in discussing MCSOs alleged decision to prioritize

immigration enforcement over violent crime investigations, the Complaint loosely

references unnamed statistical reports which allegedly show an increase in violent

crime in Maricopa County during the period of enhanced immigration enforcement.

(Id. 84).

As a matter of law, such anecdotal allegations and unidentified, non-specific

statistics are insufficient to state a claim for disparate impact under Title VI. Absent

sufficient statistics to support its factual allegations and to raise its disparate impact claims

beyond the speculative level, Plaintiff is precluded from maintaining its disparate impact

claims under Rose, Twombly, and the other cases cited above. The disparate impact

claims/theories under Counts III, IV and V must be dismissed.

IV. PLAINTIFFS CLAIMS BASED ON LANGUAGE DISCRIMINATIONMUST BE DISMISSED FOR FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM OFNATIONAL ORIGIN DISCRIMINATION UNDER TITLE VI.

Plaintiffs Fourth and Fifth Claims for Relief (Counts IV and V), allege that

discrimination against limited English proficient Latino prisoners violates Title VI (Count


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2865269.1 10

IV) and Title VI assurances (Count V, in part). Plaintiff cannot maintain these claims

because Title VI does not prohibit disparate treatment based on language proficiency.

Section 601 of Title VI prohibits intentional discrimination on the ground

of race, color, or national origin. 42 U.S.C. 2000d. But the Fourth Claim for Relief

and part of the Fifth Claim for Relief, do not rely on any of those prohibited grounds of

discrimination. Instead, the claims rely on allegations that Defendants violated Title VI

by not providing adequate Spanish language-assistance to limited English proficient

(LEP) Latino prisoners. (Complaint 117-137). Plaintiff confuses the term national

origin with language proficiency and, consequently, the claim must be dismissed.

Title VI and its implementing regulations prohibit intentional discrimination

on the basis of race, color, or national origin. 42 U.S.C. 2000d; 28 C.F.R.

42.104(b)(2). Neither Title VI nor its implementing regulations prohibit, or even

reference, disparate treatment of individuals with limited English proficiency. Nor is

there any reference in the legislative history of any intent to include language within the

types of disparate treatment prohibited by Title VI. See 1964 U.S.C.C.A.N. 2391, H. Rep

No. 914, 88th Cong., 2nd Sess. (1964) and S. Rep. No. 872, 88th Cong., 2nd Sess. (1964).

Whereas national origin refers to a persons birthplace or ancestry, language proficiency

refers to the ability to understand and convey a specific set of words and phrases.

The distinction between language proficiency and national origin is not a

novel concept. Indeed, it was recently applied in the context of a Title VI claim. In a

2010 Eighth Circuit case, the court held that disparate treatment of individuals with

limited English proficiency does not equate to discrimination on the basis of national

origin.Mumid v. Abraham Lincoln High Sch., 618 F.3d 789 (8th Cir. 2010). InMumid, a

group of 13 students filed a complaint, including a Title VI claim, against Abraham

Lincoln High School, an alternative school for immigrant students. Id. at 791. Each of

theMumidplaintiffs were natives of either Somalia or Ethiopia and had lived in Kenyan

refugee camps before coming to the United States when they were between the ages of

14-20. Id. at 792. The plaintiffs claimed that the high school provided fewer educationa


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2865269.1 11

and extracurricular opportunities than other schools and that it failed to test those students

learning English for learning disabilities or other special educational needs. Id. at 793-94

These shortcomings, they alleged, amounted to discrimination on the basis of national

origin because they occurred in a school that served only foreign-born students.Id.

The Eighth Circuit first noted that the district court observed correctly that

Title VI prohibits only intentional discrimination [and that] proof of disparate impact is

not sufficient. Id. at 794 (citingAlexander, 532 U.S. at 280-81).2

In analyzing whether

the plaintiffs had adequately shown intentional discrimination, the Court turned to the

crux of the allegations that the policies at issue discriminated against those students

categorized as English language learners. Id. at 795. The Court rejected this argument

noting that [w]hile Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of national origin

language and national origin are not interchangeable. Id. (emphasis added). The

Court then held that [a] policy that treats students with limited English proficiency

differently than other students in the district does not facially discriminate based on

national origin. Id.; see also Castaneda v. Pickard, 648 F.2d 989, 1007 (5th Cir. 1981)

(we do not think it can seriously be asserted that [a] program [of allegedly inadequate

bilingual education in a Texas public school] was intended or designed to discriminate

against Mexican-American students in violation of Title VI.).

This distinction has also been recognized in Title VI claims brought by

inmates. In Franklin v. District of Columbia, a class of Hispanic prisoners alleged that the

District of Columbia violated their rights under Title VI by failing to offer religious,

vocational, and education programs in the Spanish language. 960 F. Supp. 394, 398

(D.D.C. 1997), rev'd in part on other grounds, 163 F.3d 625 (D.C. Cir. 1998). The Cour

held that the inmate plaintiffs were not entitled to Title VI relief because they were not

being barred from participation in prison programs because of their race, color or national

2Alexander rejected the Title VI analysis used in earlier cases, including Lau v

Nichols, 414 U.S. 563 (1974), which Plaintiff had previously relied upon in support of itsdiscrimination claims.


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origin. Id. at 432. The Court recognized the fundamental distinction between language

proficiency and national origin: While the programs are open to all inmates, limited-

English proficient inmates participation is limited only by their English fluency. Simply

put, LEP inmates are differently situated than inmates who are fluent in English.Id.

Applying the analysis from Mumid and Franklin requires a similar result

here. Plaintiffs Fourth Claim for Relief must be dismissed because it is based on

allegations that Defendants policies discriminate against LEP inmates. Although

Plaintiff goes to great lengths to categorize the prisoners as Latino Limited English

Proficient prisoners, its allegations clearly and unequivocally focus on providing

language assistance to Spanish-speaking prisoners, not simply to those Spanish-speaking

prisoners who also happen to be Latinos. To the extent that Plaintiffs Fifth Claim for

Relief is also based upon allegations that Defendants policies discriminate against limited

English proficient inmates, it must also be dismissed.

The plain language of Title VI and its implementing regulations expressly

state a prohibition of conduct that discriminates on the basis ofrace, color, or national

origin only not language proficiency. Language proficiency is simply not a proxy for

national origin and, as such, any Title VI claim based on language proficiency is beyond

the scope of Title VI. Accordingly, this Court should dismiss Plaintiffs Fourth Claim for

Relief, as well as the portion of Plaintiffs Fifth Claim for Relief that alleges

discrimination on the basis of language proficiency.

V. COUNT VI (RETALIATION AGAINST CRITICS) FAILS TO STATE ACLAIM UNDER EITHER 42 USC 14141 OR THE FIRST AMENDMENT.

In its Sixth Claim for Relief, Plaintiff claims that Defendants retaliated

against critics of its immigration policies in violation of 42 U.S.C. 14141 and the First

Amendment. This claim must be dismissed because: (1) it is outside the scope of conduc

for which 14141 relief is authorized, and (2) Plaintiff has no standing to sue for

violations of individuals First Amendment rights.


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A. Congress Enacted 14141 To Eradicate Systematic Police Brutality.Congress enacted 42 U.S.C. 14141 as part of the Violent Crime Control

and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (Omnibus Violent Crime Act). Section 14141

empowers the Attorney General to file a civil action for injunctive or declaratory relief if

the Attorney General has reasonable cause to believe that law enforcement officers have

engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct ... that deprives persons of rights, privileges,

or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States.

Legislative history demonstrates that that the driving force behind this Act

was the Rodney King beating and other incidents of police brutality, both within the Los

Angeles Police Department and elsewhere. See Armacost, B., Organizational Culture and

Police Misconduct, 72 Geo. Wash. L. Rev. 453 (2004). Section 14141 was, in large part

a response to the Christopher Commissions finding that a significant number of officers

in the LAPD repetitively use excessive force against the public. H.R. Rep. No. 102-242

at 135 (1991) (quoting Christopher Commission Report, at 40).3

In enacting 14141

Congress concluded that police brutality was not only a problem in Los Angeles, but was

characteristic of many police departments, which often involved particular policies or

practices that [are] reflected in a pattern of misconduct.Id. at 136. Legislators concludedthat only injunctive relief could adequately address the problem of systemic police

brutality, and 14141 was the means by which Congress sought to eradicate such

misconduct in police departments where police brutality was pervasive.Id. at 138.

The expanded authority granted to the Justice Department pursuant to

14141 was intended only to close the gap in the law as it had developed in litigation

under 42 U.S.C. 1983 by providing the remedy of broad injunctive relief where

appropriate. United States v. City of Columbus, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11327 at 27

(S.D. Ohio 2000) (finding that the law is a valid and proper exercise of Congressional

3The Christopher Commission was created to investigate the LAPD following the

1991 beating of Rodney King. See H.R. Rep. No. 242 (discussing a predecessor bill toPub. L. No. 103-322, which ultimately enacted 42 U.S.C. 14141).


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2865269.1 14

authority because the remedy authorized by 14141 is clearly responsiveto the

constitutional harm identified in the House Committee reportand is no more expansive

than is necessary to address that harm.). In keeping with the spirit and purpose of

Congress in enacting 14141, virtually every lawsuit initiated by the Justice Department

in the years following adoption of 14141 focused on systematic police brutality.

Lawsuits were brought in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Steubenville, Ohio; the State of New

Jersey; Los Angeles, California; Columbus, Ohio; Nassau County, New York, and

elsewhere. Many of these resulted in consent decrees to improve police training in the

proper use of force.4

Although lawsuits by the Justice Department pursuant to 14141

occasionally have targeted racially discriminatory traffic stops and searches, efforts have

focused primarily on policies and practices involving police brutality. See Grand Lodge

of the Fraternal Order of Police v. Ashcroft, 185 F. Supp. 2d 9, 12-13 (D D.C. 2001).

B. The Alleged Retaliation Contained in Count VI Is Plainly Outside theScope of Conduct For which Injunctive Relief is Authorized By 14141.

Given the legislative history and purpose behind 14141 and the Omnibus

Violent Crime Act, this lawsuit against Defendants is questionable at best. But at leas

with regard to the racial profiling aspect of the 14141 claims, there is some, albeit

limited, precedent. There is absolutely no precedent, however, for using the authority

under 14141 to target the kind of conduct alleged in Plaintiffs Sixth Claim for Relief.

The conduct Plaintiff alleges in support of this claim involves purported

retaliation by Defendants against critics of MCSO practices, and particularly MCSOs

immigration practices, in an effort to punish these persons for their criticism and to

prevent future criticism. (Complaint 138). Even if this were a valid ground for

4See, e.g., Consent Decree P 2, United States v. City of Los Angeles (C.D. Cal.

June 15, 2001) (No. 00-11769), http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/split/documents/laconsent.htm(last visited Feb. 9, 2004); Consent Decree P 2, United States v. New Jersey (D.N.J. Dec.30, 1999) (No. 99-5970), http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/split/documents/jerseysa.htm (lastvisited Feb. 9, 2004); Consent Decree PP 1, 4, United States v. City of Pittsburgh (W.D.Pa. Feb. 26, 1997) (No. 97-0354), http://www.us doj.gov/crt/split/documents/pittssa.htm(last visited Feb. 9, 2004); Consent Decree P 1, United States v. City of Steubenville (S.DOhio Sept. 3, 1997) (No. C2 97-966), http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/split/documents/steubensa.htm (last visited Feb. 9, 2004).


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obtaining injunctive relief under 14141, which it is not, the factual allegation section of

the Complaint purportedly supporting this Claim does not address retaliation against those

who criticize MCSOs immigration practices. Rather, it cites alleged unsubstantiated

complaints and lawsuits against certain attorneys, judges and Maricopa County officials

for which former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and two of his assistant

attorneys were subsequently disciplined by the Arizona State Bar. (Id. 140-145). None

of the allegations claim that those incidents involved criticism of MCSOs immigration

practices, nor could they legitimately do so. At best, they allege supposed retaliation

against individuals who criticize MCSO generally, which does not come close to forming

the basis for a claim under 14141.

Only three allegations (involving two anecdotes) in the Complaint even

mention alleged retaliation against those who criticize MCSOs immigration policies or

practices. (See Complaint 147-149).5

And those allegations cannot remotely support a

claim that Defendants have engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct ... that deprives

persons of rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or

laws of the United States. 14141. More importantly, the alleged conduct described in

paragraphs 138 through 151 of the Complaint as a whole have nothing whatsoever to do

with the purpose for which 14141 was adopted to eradicate systematic police brutality.

The United States Supreme Court has repeatedly emphasized the central

tenant of federal statutory construction that: if Congress intends to alter the usual

constitutional balance between States and the Federal Government, it must make its

intention to do so unmistakably clear in the language of the statute. Vermont Agency of

Nat'l Resources v. United States, 529 U.S. 765, 786 and n. 17 (2000); see also United

5Paragraphs 147-48 relate an alleged incident in which MCSO arrested a peaceful

protester for obstructing a thoroughfare during an act of civil disobedience. It notes thatthe protester has a long history of publicly criticizing MCSO immigration operations. Italso alleges that the protester was re-arrested, but that the charges were later dismissed.These allegations do not indicate that the protester was arrested while protesting MCSOimmigration practices. Paragraph 149 alleges that MCSO officers arrested unnamedpersons who expressed their disagreement with MSCO immigration policies during thecourse of County Board meetings by applauding.


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States v. Univ. Hosp., 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25093, 7-8 (E.D.N.Y. 2001). This central

tenant has been applied in strictly construing the bounds of 14141. See United States of

America v. City of Columbus, Ohio, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11327 (S.D. Ohio 2000)

(citing Vermont Agency and adding that in interpreting 14141, the Court will [also] be

guided by the time-honored tenet of statutory interpretation which requires that a Court

interpret the text of one statute in the light of text of surrounding statutes .).

Nothing in the language or legislative history of the Omnibus Violent Crime

Act or 14141 evidence an intent by Congress to permit the Attorney General to wield his

authority under 14141 to seek injunctive relief against a local county sheriff for filing

complaints against individuals simply because the charges were ultimately dismissed

even if they allegedly involved retaliation against critics. On its face, the Sixth Claim

for Relief fails to state a claim for injunctive relief under 14141 and must be dismissed.

C. Plaintiff Lacks Standing to Bring a Third-Party First AmendmentClaim on Behalf of the Unnamed Individuals Referenced in Count VI.

Setting aside whether the allegations in the Sixth Claim for Relief would

support a First Amendment claim, the United States lacks standing to bring such a claim

on behalf of the unnamed individuals referenced in this Count. When a person or entity

seeks standing to advance the constitutional rights of others, courts consider two criteria.

Caplin & Drysdale, Chartered v. United States, 491 U.S. 617, 623-24 n.3. (1989). First

the litigant must prove that he has suffered some injury-in-fact adequate to satisfy Article

IIIs case or controversy requirement. Id. Second, the litigant must show that prudential

considerations permit him to advance the claim. Id. In determining whether the litigant

has shown the necessary prudential considerations, a court looks to three factors: (1) the

relationship between the litigant and the person whose rights are being asserted; (2) the

ability of the person to advance his or her own rights; and (3) the impact of the litigation

on third-party interests. Id.

Plaintiff has not shown it has suffered some injury-in-fact related to the

alleged violations of First Amendment rights set forth in Count VI. Nor has Plaintiff even


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attempted to show that prudential considerations permit it to bring this type of claim.

There is no apparent relationship between Plaintiff and the unnamed individuals

referenced in Count VI that would support allowing Plaintiff to bring these claims. Nor is

there any indication that the unnamed individuals are incapable of bringing First

Amendment claims on their own, assuming they have such claims. Finally, the Complaint

alleges no impact on third-party interests sufficient to support third-party standing. Even

if standing to assert a claim under Title VI and/or 14141 could potentially support third-

party standing of the government to advance First Amendment claims, Title VI is not

alleged as a basis for relief under Count VI, and as shown above, the allegations also do

not support grounds for relief under 14141. Thus, neither of these federal laws provide

the basis for third-party standing to assert a First Amendment claim on behalf of these

unnamed individuals. Count VI must therefore be dismissed on this basis as well.

VI. PLAINTIFF CANNOT OBTAIN INJUNCTIVE RELIEF RELATING TOOVERSIGHT AND SUPERVISION OF JAIL OPERATIONS OR TOMCSOS RESPONSE TO CRIMES OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE.

In paragraph 193 of its Prayer for Relief, Plaintiff seeks in pertinent part the

following injunctive relief:

Order the Defendants, their officers, agents, and employees toadopt and implement policies, procedures, and mechanisms toremedy the pattern or practice of unlawful conduct describedherein, and by specifically addressing, inter alia, the followingareas: policies and training; non-discriminatory policing and

jail operations; stops, searches, and arrests; response tocrimes of sexual violence; posse operations; jail operations;supervision; misconduct complaint intake, investigation andadjudication; retaliation; oversight and transparency; andcommunity engagement[.]

(Complaint 193) (emphasis added). To the extent the relief sought by Plaintiff involves

court or government monitoring of jail operations and/or court or government setting of

law enforcement priorities, it is unavailable as a matter of law. Interference with prison

(or jail) operations is prohibited by Casey v. Lewis, 518 U.S. 343, 362-63 (1996). And

courts have no authority to issue an injunction overriding the setting of law enforcemen

priorities. Sensing v. Harris, 217 Ariz. 261, 265, 172 P.3d 856, 859 (App. 2007).


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A. Injunctive Relief Is Not Available If It Interferes With Jail Operations.In Casey, the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the appointment of a special

master to oversee what changes in prison policy were necessary to ensure that prisoners

received their right to access the courts. The special masters appointment was

invalidated primarily due to the extreme deference due by the judiciary to the states

regarding the internal operations of their prison systems. In Casey, Justice Scalia wrote:

Finally, the order was developed through a process that failed togive adequate consideration to the views of state prisonauthorities. We have said that the strong considerations ofcomity that require giving a state court system that has convicteda defendant the first opportunity to correct its own errors ... alsorequire giving the States the first opportunity to correct the errorsmade in the internal administration of their prisons.

518 U.S. at 362 (quoting Preiser v. Rodriguez, 411 U.S. 475, 492 (1973)).

Casey then compared and contrasted the procedural remedies used in that

case with those employed in Bounds v. Smith, 430 U.S. 817 (1977). In the latter case

after granting summary judgment for the inmates, the district court refrained from

dictating precisely what course the State should follow. Casey, 518 U.S. at 362-63

(quoting Bounds, 430 U.S. at 818). Because the Bounds court recognized that

determining the appropriate relief to be ordered ... presents a difficult problem, itcharged the Department of Correction with the task of devising a Constitutionally sound

program to assure inmate access to the courts. Casey, 518 U.S. at 363 (citingBounds at

818-819). As Casey observed, the Supreme Court praised the procedure used in Bounds

observing that the court had scrupulously respected the limits on [its] role, by not . .

thrusting itself into prison administration and instead permitting prison administrators

[to] exercise wide discretion within the bounds of constitutional requirements. Casey,

518 U.S. at 363 (quoting Bounds at 832-833). In contrast, the district court in Casey

totally disregarded the limits of its role by conferring upon its special master (a law

professor from New York), rather than upon prison officials, the responsibility for

devising a remedial plan. Casey also emphasized that a prison regulation impinging on

inmates constitutional rights is valid if it is reasonably related to legitimate penological


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interests and that courts owe a high degree of deference to prison officials because

[s]ubjecting the day-to-day judgments of prison officials to an inflexible strict scrutiny

analysis would seriously hamper their ability to anticipate security problems and to adopt

innovative solutions to the intractable problems of prison administration[.] Id. at 363

The Supreme Court had previously expounded upon the need for this high degree of

deference inBell v. Wolfish, stating that:

the problems that arise in the day-to-day operation of a correctionsfacility are not susceptible of easy solutions. Prison administratorstherefore should be accorded wide-ranging deference in theadoption and execution of policies and practices that in their

judgment are needed to preserve internal order and discipline andto maintain institutional security. Such considerations are

peculiarly within the province and professional expertise of

corrections officials, and, in the absence of substantial evidencein the record to indicate that the officials have exaggerated theirresponse to these considerations, courts should ordinarily deferto their expert judgment in such matters.

441 U.S. 520, 547-548 (1979) (emphasis added).

Although Casey and Wolfish involved prison, rather than jail

administration, such deference appears to be even greater when dealing with a duly

elected Sheriff's jail policies. The statutory powers and duties of our states elected

Sheriffs set forth in A.R.S. 11-441 support the notion that Sheriff Arpaio is restrained

from delegating or relinquishing the power to maintain and operate his county jail. In

applying this provision, courts have held that they in turn have limited authority to

interfere with a sheriff's duties to maintain and operate the county jails, and then only to

determine whether specific constitutional violations exist and in ordering narrow

remedies to correct violations.Judd v. Bollman, 166 Ariz. 417, 803 P.2d 138 (App. 1990).

The only apparent exception to the courts lack of authority to interfere with

jail operations is where the issue involves the Sheriff's duties as an officer of the court

such as his duty to ensure that defendants are transported for court. In Trombi v

Donahoe, 223 Ariz. 261, 266-267, 222 P.3d 284 (App. 2009), the Arizona Court of

Appeals held that although courts have limited authority to interfere with a sheriff's

statutory duty under 11-441(A)(5) to maintain and operate county jails, the sheriff acts


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as an officer of the court when he performs his duty under 11-441(A)(4) to attend court

Thus, the court order in Trombi was lawful where it merely directed the timely appearance

of inmates.6

In contrast, because a sheriff was not acting as an officer of the court when

regulating hours of jail visitation, he acted within the ambit of his power, and the court

had no authority to control the exercise of the sheriffs discretion within that ambit

Arpaio v. Baca, 217 Ariz. 570, 177 P.3d 312 (App. 2008).

Entering orders relating to jail operations, posse operations, supervision and

oversight would unquestionably involve jail operations and prioritization of law

enforcement efforts and resources. These are statutory duties imposed on and reserved to

the Sheriff in his capacity as an elected official. Neither the court nor the government can

properly interfere with Sheriff Arpaios exercise of these duties under controlling federal

and state caselaw. These potential remedies are therefore unavailable as a matter of law.7

B. Injunctive Relief is Not Available If It Overrides the Setting of LawEnforcement Priorities.

Moreover, courts have held that the decision of how to prioritize law

enforcement goals and objectives based on resources and other considerations is within

the discretion of a police chief or sheriff. Sensing v. Harris, 217 Ariz. 261, 265, 172 P.3d

856, 859 (App. 2007). Injunctive relief is simply not available to override the exercise of

that discretion. Id. A police chiefs or sheriffs discretion over law enforcement decisions

also makes the issue of enforcing a particular statute a political question not appropriate

for judicial resolution. Id. (citingAhern v. Baker, 366 P.2d 366, 369 (Colo. 1961)). Thus

any order relating to MCSOs response to crimes of sexual violence would improperly

override Sheriff Arpaios exercise of his discretion to set law enforcement priorities, and

would involve non-justiciable political questions.

6Trombi observed that in 11-441(A)(4), the Legislature granted to the judiciary

the authority to require the sheriff to attend court, and required the sheriff to obey lawfulorders and directions issued by the judge. Thus, the sheriff acts as an officer of the courin carrying out that duty. 223 Ariz. at 266-267 (citingBaca, 217 Ariz. at 579, 177 P.3d at321 & Clark v. Campbell, 219 Ariz. 66, 72, 193 P.3d 320, 326 (App 2008)).

7In moving to dismiss these specific remedies, Defendants do not waive their

ability to argue that none of the remedies should be ordered in this case.


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VII. CONCLUSION.For the above reasons, Defendants respectfully request the Court to: (1)

dismiss MCSO as a Defendant; (2) dismiss the disparate impact claims/theories in Counts

II, IV and V; (3) dismiss the Title VI claims in Counts IV and V alleging discrimination

based upon limited English language proficiency; (4) dismiss Count VI; and (5) find that

injunctive relief relating to jail operations, posse operations, supervision,

oversight, and MCSOs response to crimes of sexual violence are unavailable as a

matter of law.

DATED this 8th day of June, 2012.

JONES, SKELTON & HOCHULI, P.L.C.

By /s/ Lori L. VoepelWilliam R. Jones, Jr.John T. MastersonJoseph J. PopolizioLori L. Voepel2901 North Central Avenue, Suite 800Phoenix, Arizona 85012Attorneys for Defendants Maricopa CountySheriffs Office and Joseph M. Arpaio


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2865269.1 22

ORIGINAL electronically filedthis 8

thday of June, 2012.

COPY mailed/e-mailed this 8th

day of June, 2012, to:

Thomas E. PerezRoy L. AustinU.S. Department of JusticeCivil Rights Division950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20530

Richard K. WalkerRobert L. DysartWalker & Peskind, PLLC16100 North 71st Street, Suite 140Scottsdale, AZ 85254Attorneys for Maricopa County, Arizona

Dan K. WebbJ. Erik ConnollyWinston & Strawn, LLP35 West Wacker DriveChicago, IL 60601Attorneys for Maricopa County, Arizona

/s/ Ginger Stahly

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